PBS News Hour - Science

Public health concerns are widening as cyclosporiasis cases surge and a salmonella outbreak across 17 states has many Americans raising concerns about U.S. food safety. Back-to-back cases where people are getting sick from food have put many on edge. William Brangham discussed the concerns with Caitlin Rivers, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Last week, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy dismissed his tech-savvy defense minister. That sparked protests among supporters who credit him with helping transform Ukraine's defense capabilities. Special correspondent Simon Ostrovsky and producer Katia Patin report on the technologies and policies that helped drive that transformation. A warning: this story includes graphic descriptions of war. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Prosthetics designed to blend in as replacements for missing body parts are becoming tools for creative expression. This is especially true in the community of ocular prosthetics, or artificial eyes. Jeffrey Brown meets a Portland eye maker whose designs are helping clients see themselves in a new light. It's for our coverage of the intersection of health and arts, part of our CANVAS series. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

An FDA advisory committee began a two-day meeting to consider lifting a ban and widening access to seven popular peptides. They have seen a surge of support from wellness influencers and others, including Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Amna Nawaz discussed more with Dr. Dhruv Khullar, who wrote the New Yorker article, "Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides?" PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Breakthroughs in Chinese AI models are sending shockwaves through Washington and Silicon Valley. Chinese companies are narrowing the AI gap despite vast differences in computing power and resources. It comes as the White House is planning to redirect billions in funding from universities to individuals in a bid to accelerate AI innovation. Geoff Bennett discussed more with Amrith Ramkumar. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Artificial intelligence is fueling stock market highs, economic growth and a construction boom across the country. But it is also igniting fierce local debates about the benefits, the costs and whether the data centers that power AI should be built at all. Economics correspondent Paul Solman looks at how one of those battles is playing out in the Midwest. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Federal officials are still trying to determine the source of a multistate outbreak linked to lettuce. There may be more than 7,000 cases of cyclosporiasis nationwide. The FDA said that a lettuce sample from Taylor Farms that was initially reported as positive for cyclospora was actually a false positive. William Brangham discussed more with Dr. Katelyn Jetelina of Your Local Epidemiologist. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Alcohol is a product so tightly woven into our society that we struggle to see what it's really doing to us. Despite documented links between alcohol and cancer, heart and liver disease, over half of all drinkers think their own consumption doesn't raise their risk for serious health problems. Horizons mo derator William Brangham explores more with Lev Facher, Marissa Esser and Priscilla Martinez. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

From the American Revolution to today, conspiracy theories have been part of the American story in ways that may surprise us. In this episode of Judy Woodruff's "In Pursuit of Happiness," she sits down with Jesse Walker, author of "The United States of Paranoia: A Conspiracy Theory," to explore how conspiracy theories take shape -- and what they tell us about who we are. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Markets to offset carbon emissions are now worth about $2 billion annually, and supporters say they're a key tool to address climate change. But carbon credits have also been criticized for being opaque and not reducing emissions nearly enough. Stephanie Sy reports on an effort to boost the integrity of carbon markets and open them up to small landowners. It's part of our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The European Union's climate commissioner has told the 27-country bloc that the only way out of energy crises fueled by the wars in Iran and Ukraine is homegrown energy, and that the EU must accelerate its transition away from fossil fuels. One country leading the charge towards green energy is Denmark. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A day after liftoff, Artemis II is now well on its way. Four astronauts are on a ten-day voyage around the moon and back, traveling deeper into space than any human has ever before. For more about what's happening now and what comes next, Amna Nawaz spoke with science correspondent Miles O'Brien. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

For the first time in more than 50 years, the United States is sending astronauts back toward the moon. NASA launched Artemis II from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending a crew of four astronauts on a 10-day voyage. If all goes as planned, they will travel farther into space than any humans before them. Miles O'Brien was there for the launch and joined Amna Nawaz to discuss the mission. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The Trump administration has rolled back support for many forms of clean energy. One exception is nuclear power. The president wants to quadruple U.S. nuclear capacity by 2050, and a new generation of advanced reactors in development could signal the dawn of a new nuclear age. Paul Solman reports for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

A massive heat dome has been spreading across much of the United States this month, with temperatures reaching historic highs. But it's not an isolated spike. In recent weeks, the country has grappled with a series of extreme weather events. Ali Rogin spoke with Bernadette Woods Placky of Climate Central for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The war in Iran has cast a spotlight again on the dependence on fossil fuels. The electric grid is under growing demand, but the Trump administration has worked to roll back subsidies and incentives for some renewable energies. A new industry report finds that solar panel installations dropped by 14% this past year. Science Correspondent Miles O'Brien reports for our series, Tipping Point. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

On the latest episode of our video podcast, "Settle In," Amna Nawaz spoke to pioneering digital forensic expert Hany Farid. They discussed why disinformation spreads online, how to find reliable sources of information and why he's still hopeful about our digital future. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

PBS News Student Reporting Labs, our journalism training program, takes us to a family farm in Upper Marlborough, Maryland, to meet Cameron Oglesby. They bring you the story of her family's struggle to hold onto their land, which inspired her to want to tell stories of environmental justice. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

The clash between Anthropic and the U.S. government escalated with President Trump ordering every federal agency to stop using any of the AI company's products. It came after Anthropic wanted to limit how the Pentagon used one of its AI tools. William Brangham discussed more with Michael Horowitz. He previously worked in the Pentagon, where he wrote the policy on AI weapon systems. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

In a zoo outside Tokyo, one monkey has pulled heartstrings around the world after forming an unexpected friendship. Stephanie Sy reports. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

As Trump pulls back from regulations on climate change, many scientists remain worried about the warming of the oceans, melting glaciers and sea level rise. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien has been reporting from Antarctica on a mission to understand what's happening there. In his last report from the Thwaites Glacier, he looks at other key research projects that have been part of that trip. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

If you've been following Miles O'Brien's reports from Antarctica, you know he's with an international group of researchers trying to measure what's happening to the rapidly melting Thwaites Glacier. Their work has been trying to capture information in ways that have never been done before. O'Brien has an update on how all that turned out, for our Tipping Point series. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy